A former British banker has pleaded not guilty to the murders of two Indonesian women in Hong Kong.
Rurik Jutting, 31, in Hong Kong’s High Court court on Monday, denied two counts of murder, claiming diminished responsibility. He said he would plead guilty to two counts of manslaughter and one count of preventing lawful burial.
The prosecution said they would not accept his manslaughter plea and will now press for a murder conviction.
In the early hours of November 1, 2014, Hong Kong police said they received a call from the then 29-year-old Jutting, requesting police come to his upscale apartment complex in the busy district of Wan Chai.
Jutting was working in Hong Kong for Bank of America Merrill Lynch before his arrest, court documents said. He has been detained for two years pending trial.
Jutting sat in court wearing a blue shirt, dark pants and his usual black-rimmed glasses. His curly hair was cut short.
While many seats in the courtroom were occupied by the media, a number of migrant workers also were in attendance, wearing black t-shirts reading “Justice.”
Jutting found fit to stand trial
According to a 2014 police press release, police found two dead women at the Wan Chai apartment, later identified as 25-year-old Sumarti Ningsih and 30-year-old Seneng Mujiasih.
One of the victims was found with cut wounds to her neck and buttock, while the other victim was found stuffed in a suitcase on the balcony of his high-rise apartment, with neck injuries.
She was believed to have died on October 27, 2014, a few days before Jutting called the police.
Jutting first appeared at the Magistrates’ Court in 2014. The court court heard that a lengthy investigation of over 200 pieces of evidence would be needed.
Jutting did not give a plea in 2014, but psychology reports said he was fit to stand trial.
His jury trial is expected to last for at least three weeks.
‘She was an ordinary woman’
Both Sumarti and Seneng had been migrant workers in Hong Kong before they were killed. Hong Kong is home to many Indonesian and Filipino Hong Kong migrants, many of whom work as maids or domestic helpers.
Sumarti was the mother of a seven-year-old child.
“She was just an ordinary woman from Indonesia. Like me and many others, she was forced to work abroad to feed her poor family and make her dream comes true” said Jumiati, Sumarti’s cousin after learning of her tragic death.
Seneng had come to Hong Kong as a migrant worker but had overstayed her visa.
Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body (AMCB) organized a vigil for the victims at Victoria Park on Sunday, a popular gathering spot for Indonesian migrants on weekends.
The group demanded justice for the victims and urged the Indonesian government to provide assistance to the families.
